Actuating mechanism for sliding members



June 20, 1961 J. M ERCIER 2,989,303

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING MEMBERS Filed Oct. 15, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

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ATW/PIVEYS- June 20, 1961 J. MERCIER 2,989,303

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING MEMBERS Filed Oct. 15, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 2 24 25' /0 2/ I n. 1 1 m l J; L

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INVENTOR. JE/M/ MERC/ER BY jaw s M United States. Patent 2,989,303AICTUATING MEC M FOR SLIDING MEMBERS Jean Mercier, 1185 Park Ave., NewYork, N.Y. Filed Oct. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 766,934 4 Claims. (Cl. 268-48)This invention relates to actuating mechanism for sliding members andmore particularly for hatch covers.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention it is noted that wherehatch covers are displaced by cables and windlasses, free movement ofpersonnel and cargo may be impeded and the cables may snarl withresultant inoperativeness. Where motor driven pinions and racks areused, the construction is relatively expensive.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide anactuating mechanism for a sliding panel that is relatively simple inconstruction, having but few relatively inexpensive parts that are notlikely to become deranged and which will automatically and dependablyefiect movement of a sliding panel between open and closed position.

Where the sliding hatch cover panel is seated on the coaming of ahatchway when in closed position, and must be lifted slightly wheninitially laterally displaced toward open position, for heavy panels,considerable force is initially required for this purpose which, ifdirectly applied to the panel would require a correspondingly large andbulky motor. Furthermore, since relatively little force is required toeffect lateral movement of the panel once it has been lifted, the use ofa large motor would be wasteful.

It is accordingly another object of the invention to provide anactuating mechanism of the above type which with a given actuating forcein one direction will apply a greatly increased force to effect movementof the panel from closed position and thereupon automatically willreduce the force eifecting continuedmovement of the panel from closedposition and increase the rate of movement of the panel and will alsoeffect closing of the panel at such increased rate.

According to the invention from its broader aspect, the force exerted bya motor disposed exteriorly of the panel is transmitted to the latter bya lever that is displaced in a plane below the plane in which the panelis displaced and substantially parallel thereto.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the lever againstwhich the motor reacts has associated elements and is so mounted thatupon initial actuation of the motor to move the panel from closedposition, the lever will function as a lever of the second class withresultant greater force applied to move the panel than that applied toactuate the lever and with continued outward movement of the panelautomatically will function as a lever of the third class with enhancedrate of displacement of the panel.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a single hatch cover panel and associatedactuating mechanism,

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 2-2. of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a rectangular panel isprovided adapted to be positioned over a hatchway to close the latter.The panel when in closed position rests on a coaming 11 (FIG. 2) risingfrom the deck 12 of a ship for example, suitable gaskets 1 (not shown)being provided to effect a seal when the Extending along each of theupper edges of the side walls 19 of the coaming 11 are lateral rails 21,the ends 22 of which adjacent the edge 13 of the panel beingin clineddownwardly, say, at an angle of 45 degrees.

The rollers 17 are mounted on a support 23 secured to the lower end of apin 24 depending from an arm 25' extending laterally outward from thecenter of said edge 18, said rollers 17 being positioned so that theywill ride on the deck 12. The rollers are guided by a rail 26 (FIG. 3)positioned therebetween, said rail 26 protruding only slightly above thedeck 12 so that it will not interfere with the movement of personnel orequipment.

Pivotally connected to pin 24 between arm 25- and support 23- at a levelbelow the plane of movement of the panel 10 is one end of a lever 29.The other end of lever 29 is pivotally connected as at 31 to one end ofa connecting rod 32, the other end of which is pivotally connected as at33 to a fixed support laterally displaced the pivot 31 thereof is theouter end of the piston rod- 35 of a hydraulic jack 36, the cylinder 37of which is pivotally connected as at 3-8 to a fixed support also laterally displaced from the hatchway.

The connecting rod 32 and the jack 36 are desirably substantiallyparallel when the panel 10 is in closed position, so that the forcewhich the lateral components exert upon the pivot 24 when the panel 10is moved to open position by lever 29, will be reduced.

The jack 36 and the connecting rod 32 as well as a portion of lever 29are desirably covered by a hood or casing 41, the latter having alateral opening in its side wall to permit displacement of the lever 29.

Desirably the upper surface of the casing 41 lies in the same horizontalplane as that of the panel 10 so that a flat surface is provided onwhich a crew member i As the panel initially moves to the left from theclosed position shown in FIG. 2, the rollers 15, 16 will ride up theinclined portions 22 of the rails 21. This will immediately lift theassociated edge 13- of the panel 10 so that the latter will be at aslight incline from the horizontal with the lower edge 39 of the panelspaced 7 from the upper edge of the coaming 11. Consequently,

no injury will be imparted to the sealing gaskets as the I panel ismoved to fully open position.

Similarly, when the piston rod 35 of the hydraulic jack 1 36 isretracted to move the panel 10 to closed position, the rollers 15 and 16riding on the rails 21 will retain the lower edge 39 of the panel 10spaced from the upper edge of the coaming until the panel has reachedsubstantially its fully closed position. At this time the rollers 15 andI 16 will ride down the inclined portion 22 of the rails 21 for fullclosure of the panel 10 without injury to the gaskets.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, two rectangular panels 45 and46 are provided to close the hatchway, the panels being movable inopposed directions.

, The panels 45 and 46 at each end of their adjacent t edges 47 and 48have downwardly inclined arms 49, 51,

Patented Jun 20,1961? the lower end of each of which mounts a roller 52,53, the arm 51 being positioned outwardly of the arm 49 to permit freemovement of the panels.

Extending along each of the upper edges of the side walls 54 of thecoaming 55 are lateral rails 56, 57, the inner ends 58, 59 of which areinclined downwardly, say at an angle of 45 degrees, the rollers 52 and53 riding on rails .56 and 57 respectively.

A pair of rollers 17 are mounted on a support 23 secured to the lowerend of a pin 24 depending from an arm 25' extending laterally outwardfrom the center of the side edges 61 of each of the panels, said rollersrespectively being positioned on each side of the center of said panels,straddling a guide rail 26' and riding on the deck 62.

Pivotally connected to each of the pins 24' between arm 25' and support23' at a level below the plane of movement of the associated panel arelevers 63 and 64, said pivotal connections being between the ends 65, 66of each lever. The end 65 of each lever mounts a depending pin 67 (FIG.adapted to abut against an associated fixed stop 68 upon initialmovement of the panels from closed position.

The other end 66 of each of the levers is pivotally and slidably mountedin an elongated slot 69 at one end of an associated connecting rod 71,the other ends of said rods being pivotally connected to a fixed support72.

Pivotally connected to lever 63 as at 73 is one end of a rod 74 securedat its other end to the cylinder 75 of a hydraulic jack 76. The free endof the piston rod 77 of the jack 76 is pivotally connected as at 78 tolever 64.

In operation of the unit when the jack 76 is actuated to effect outwardmovement of its piston rod 77, the cylinder 75 of the jack will alsomove outwardly. As a result, an outward component of force will beapplied to points 73, 78.

By reason of the location of the points 65, 24', 73 and 65, 24, 78 oflevers 63, 64 respectively, each of the levers will function as a forcemultiplier, i.e., as levers of the second class. Thus, as the pins 67will abut against the stops 68, the panels will start to move away fromeach other, the ends 66 of each of the levers moving along the length ofthe associated slots 69.

As the panels initially move away from each other from the closedposition shown in FIG. 4, the rollers 52, 53 on each panel will ride upthe associated inclined portions 58, 59 of the rails 56, 57. This willimmediately lift the associated edges 47, 48 of the panels 45, 46 sothat the latter will be at a slight incline from the horizontal with thelower edge of the panels spaced from the upper edge of the coaming 55.

Consequently, no injury will be imparted to the sealing gaskets as thepanels are moved further to fully opened position.

With continued actuation of jack 76, the pivoted ends 66 of levers 63,64 will engage the outer ends of the associated slot 69. As a result,the ends 65 of the levers will move away from the associated stop 68 andthe panels will continue their outward movement, the levers now actingas multipliers of distance, i.e., as levers of the third class toincrease the rate of opening movement.

To close the panels 45, 46, the hydraulic jack 76 is actuated to effectinward movement of its piston rod 77. As a result, the ends 66 of levers63, 64 will abut against the ends 81 of slots 69 and thereupon the ends65 of levers 63, 64 will move toward each other to effect inwardmovement of the panels to fully closed position, the levers functioningas levers of the third class for rapid closing movement of the panels.

Although in the illustrative embodiment shown the panels, when actuated,move clear of the hydraulic jacks, it is within the scope of theinvention to have covers extend beyond the hatch opening over suchhydraulic jacks.

The actuating mechanism above described, although of generalapplication, is especially suitable for hatch cover panels. Thus, sincenone of the actuating mechanism is carried by the panels, the weight ofthe latter is greatly reduced so that smaller motors may be used foractuation thereof. In addition, since the actuating mechanism iscovered, personnel of the ship may readily move about, which facilitatesloading.

As many changes could be made in the above equipment and many apparentlywidely diflFerent embodiments I of this invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accon1- panyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Mechanism for moving a slidably mounted panel substantiallyhorizontally along a straight path over an opening from a first positionto a second position to open and close said opening, comprising a leverextending in substantially a horizontal plane between the plane of thetop surface of said panel and the plane of the opening and pivotallyconnected at one end to the panel near one of its edges, a pivotal mountfor the end of the lever remote from the connection thereof to saidpanel, said lever being clear of said panel and said opening in thesecond position of said panel and clear of said opening in the firstposition of said panel, and a motor disposed exteriorly of said openingand reacting against said lever between its pivotal connection to thepanel and the end of the lever remote from said pivotal connection toeffect displacement of said panel.

2. Mechanism for moving a slidably mounted panel substantiallyhorizontally along a straight path over an opening from a first positionto a second position to open and close said opening, comprising a leverextending in substantially a horizontal plane below the plane of the topsurface of said panel, and pivotally connected at one end to the panelnear one of its edges, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to a fixedsupport positioned laterally of the panel and pivotally connected at itsother end to the other end of said lever remote from the connectionthereof to said panel, said lever being clear of said panel and saidopening in the second position of said panel and clear of said openingin the first position of said panel, a motor disposed exteriorly of saidopening comprising a hydraulic jack having a casing element and amovable element, the end of one of said elements being pivotallyconnected to said lever and the end of the other element being pivotallyconnected to a fixed support, said motor being positioned laterally ofsaid panel and reacting against said lever between the two ends of thelatter to effect displacement of said panel, a line extending be tweenthe pivoted ends of said connecting rod being substantially parallel toa line extending between the pivoted ends of said hydraulic jack.

3. Mechanism for moving a pair of slidably mounted panels in oppositedirections substantially horizontally along a straight path over anopening from a first position to a second position to open and closesaid opening, comprising a pair of levers associated respectively witheach of said panels and extending in substantially a horizontal planebelow the plane of the top surface of said panel, one end of each ofsaid levers being pivotally connected to an associated panel at theouter edge of said panels, each of the other ends of said levers havinga pivotal mount remote from the connection thereof to said panels, bothof said levers being clear of said panels and said opening in the secondposition of said panels and clear of said opening in the first positionof said panels, and a motor common to both said levers and disposedexteriorly of said opening and reacting against said levers betweentheir pivotal connection to the associated panel and the end of thelever remote from said pivotal connection to effect displacement of saidpanels in opposite directions.

4. Mechanism for moving a slidably mounted panel substantiallyhorizontally along a straight path over an opening from a first positionto a second position to open and close said opening, comprising a leverextending in substantially a horizontal plane below the plane of the topsurface of said panel and pivotally connected near one end to the panelnear one of its edges, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to a fixedsupport positioned laterally of the panel and pivotally connected at itsother end to the other end of the lever remote from its connection tothe panel, said lever being clear of said panel and said opening in thesecond position of said panel and clear of said opening in the firstposition of said panel, said connecting rod having an elongated slot atsaid other end to permit sliding movement of the end of the leverpivoted thereto, said lever having a portion extending beyond thepivotal connection thereof to said panel and a fixed stop 6 associatedwith the end of said extending portion, a motor disposed exteriorly ofsaid panel and reacting against said lever between its pivotalconnection to the panel and the end of the lever remote from saidpivotal connection, whereby when said lever is initially pivoted by saidmotor to effect displacement of said panel the end of said extendingportion will abut against the stop so that said lever functions as alever of the second class, and with subsequent movement of said lever itwill function as a lever of the third class.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,393,918 Spinello Oct. 18, 1921 1,807,231 Weeks May 26, 1931 2,538,980Payne Ian. 23, 1951

